Device for reshaping brassieres



June 16, 1933 A. L. LIVINGSTON 2,044,479 DEVICE FOR RESHAPING BRASSIERBS Filed Sept- 1934 Znwnmr v Patented June 16, 1936 UNTTE sTAss FATENT oFTIcE 3 Claims.

My invention relates-to means for reshaping garments and the like, being directed particularly to a device for restoring the shape of brassieres of delicate materials after laundering.

Since brassieres are often worn to confine the breasts of the wearer to artificial configurations, the fabric of the brassiere is placed under stress and tends to stretch out of shape. The problem of restoring a brassire to its original shape is difficult, especially when the material includes lace, fine net, or other fabrics too delicate for ironing. Laundering is not often attempted, because the material becomes unmanageable, shrinking and puckering entirely out of shape. It is a common practice, therefore, to discard. a brassiere of delicate material as soon as it becomes either stretched or soiled.

My invention provides a simple and inexpensive means whereby the wearer may launder and reshape such a brassiere as long as the material is serviceable.

Broadly described, the invention comprises a form having a bulging effective surface conforming to a desired configuration for the breast portions of the brassiere, combined with means to retain a brassiere set on the form for drying. Included in my invention is the conception that a'brassiere maybe folded with one breast-portion overlying the other breast-portion, and the two breast-portions then may be shaped by the one bulging surface of the form.

Several features and advantages of my device may best be disclosed in the detailed description to follow, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device in use, holding a brassiere for reshaping;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, taken as indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken along the line 33 of Fig. l, but omitting the heating element of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section, taken as indicated by the line 44 of Fig. 1

Fig. 5 is a plan view, broken at the center, of one of the members employed to retain the brassiere on the form; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view, similar to Fig. 1, showing a modification of the means for retaining the brassire on the form.

The form generally designated by the numeral l0, employed to reshape a brassire, presents an upper bulging effective surface H. This form may be made of any suitable material, such as that known by the trade-mark bakelite, and may be either a shell or a solid block. It is to be understood that the shape of such a form, here shown approaching the configuration of a cone, is subject to changes in style. In the preferred embodiment of my device, shown in the drawing, form It] has a cone-like configuration with base edge l2 in a plane oblique to the axis of the cone, such shape being a feature of my invention.

The reasons for such a configuration may be understood by considering the construction of a brassiere. A typical brassiere has a central sternum portion connecting two breast portions and relatively long band portions, one extending outward from each breast portion around to the back of the wearer. These parts may be recognized in Fig. 1, where a brassiere, generally designated B, folded back on itself symmetrically at sternum I3, is draped across the form with the two breast portions l4, one overlying the other, central of the form and with the two outer bands I5 draped down one slope of the form. It will be noticed that the sternum portion overlying one slope of the form is relatively short, whereas the band portions overlying the opposite slope are relatively long, and it so happens that it is desirable that a substantial portion of the band. adjacent the breast portion be shaped by the form. It is apparent, then, that by inclining the axis of my form from the plane of its base, I provide a relatively short and. relatively steep slope Hi to accommodate the sternum-side of the breast portions of the brassiere and a relatively long and gradual slope IT to accommodate the band-side of the breast portions of the brassiere. In Fig. 3, line XX is perpendicular to the axis of the form and corresponds to a line perpendicular to the direction in which the wearer of the brassiere would be facing. It will be noticed that with respect to line XX, slopes l6 and I! are approximately uniform and correspond to slopes l8 and [9, shown in Fig. 2. In other words, slope I1 conforms not only to the outer side of a breast of the wearer, but also is of sufiicient extent to conform to the side of the wearer under the arm.

The wet, freshly laundered brassiere is folded and placed on the form with the nipple portions of the two sides at the apex of the form and with bands I5 and shoulder straps 2!] extending beyond the edges of the form. The brassire may be retained on the form for a period of drying by any suitable means, such as members hooking, gripping or otherwise engaging edges of the brassiere. I prefer, however, to employ elastic retaining members that simply overlie the brassiere, as shown in the drawing.

Retaining members 2| employed in Fig. 1 are made of tape, preferably elastic tape, constructed as shown in Fig. 5. This tape is doubled back on itself and sewn together to form eyelets 22 at each end and left free in the middle, so that the assembled retaining member may divide into two portions passing around opposite slopes of the form. When such a divided elastic member is applied. by the operator, it tends to pull the fabric of the brassiere evenly in opposite directions across the peak of the form. Preferably, two such members are employed, as indicated.

These retaining members may be assembled to the form in any suitable manner. In the preferred embodiment of my invention, the form It) is hollow on its under side to provide a space 23 and suitable hooks 24 on the inner wall of the form project into that space to receive the ends of the retaining members. Fig. 4 shows the end of such a retaining member brought around the base edge of the form into engagement with such a hook.

Hollow space 23 may be utilized to receive those portions of the brassiere that extend beyond the edges of the form, i. e., the ends of bands l5 and shoulder straps 20. It is desirable, therefore, that openings 23a be provided in the wall of the form for ventilation.

Preferably, that portion 25 of the base edge 12 of the form is substantially straight, so that the ends of bands l5, when turned under the form as shown in Fig. 6, will form straight transverse folds 2B. A virtue of such an arrangement is that after retaining members 2| are in place, bands i5 of the brassiere may be Stretched outward from the peak of the form and retained in tension while the brassire is drying. The form may be made of such weight as to retain the folded under portion against such tension, or special means may be provided for retaining the folded portion, such as suitable clips 21 and. 28 mounted on the inner wall of the form in space 23 to retain respectively shoulder straps 20 and bands l5.

Fig. 6 shows a composite retaining member, generally designated 29, a modification that may be substituted for the several retaining members 2| previously described. This composite retaining member, preferably fabricated from elastic tape, consists of a central ring 30, to which are joined radially disposed tapes 3| sewn together in pairs and releasably attached at their outer ends to the under side of the form, as previously described.

To facilitate drying of the laundered brassire, a heating element may be incorporated in the form. Such an element, as shown in Fig. 2, may be simply a cone 32 of insulating material incorporating electric conductors 33. The cone conforms to the inner wall of form I0 and is secured by suitable clips 34.

The preferred form of my invention, set forth in specific detail for the purpose of complete disclosure and to illustrate the principles involved, suggests various modifications and changes, and I reserve the right to all such departures in form that are within the scope of my appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device to reshape and dry brassires, the combination of: a form having a bulging effective upper surface, said form being hollow on its under side and having openings to vent said under side when the form rests on a fiat surface; elastic members associated with the form to releasably stretch a folded brassiere thereon with the breast portions of the brassire folded against each other over the apex of the form, and with other portions of the brassiere extending under the form; and means associated with the hollow part of the form to releasably retain said extended portions of the brassiere under the form.

2. In a device to reshape and dry a brassire, the combination of: a form having a bulging effective surface adapted to receive a folded brassiere; a continuous member adapted to rest upon the brassiere encircling the apex of the form; and a plurality of members connecting said continuous member with the form and adapted to pull outward on the continuous member, whereby a brassire under the continuous member may be releasably stretched over the form.

3. In a device to reshape and dry a brassiere, the combination of: a substantially conical form adapted to receive a brassire; and a plurality of elastic bands, each band extending upward arcuately across the form intermediate the apex and base, the ends of the band being secured on opposite sides of the form, the band being disposed in a plane lying at an angle to the axis of the form, whereby the band holds the brassiere against the form and draws it downward from the apex in opposition to other bands.

ALEDA L. LIVINGSTON. 

